John O'Keeffe · aftercurtain

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Life's Vagaries

Writer · Play · 1795

Life's Vagaries is a 1795 comedy play by the Irish writer John O'Keeffe. It was first performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 19 March 1795. The original cast included John Bernard as Lord Torrendel, William Thomas Lewis as Lord Arthur D'Aumerle, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Sir Hans Burgess, John Quick as Dickins, John Fawcett as George Burgess, John Henry Johnstone as Timolin, Edward Townsend as Robin, Charles Farley as Leillet, Tryphosa Jane Wallis as Augusta and Jane Pope as Lady Torrendel. Its first Dublin performance was at the Crow Street Theatre on 7 January 1796.

Omai

Playwright · Play · 1785

Omai, heir to Tahiti's throne, is to marry Londina, daughter of Britannia, symbolically uniting their countries. To escape rivals seeking to prevent the match, the pair travel through places visited by Captain Cook.

The Doldrum

Writer · Play · 1796

The Doldrum is a 1796 comedy play by the Irish writer John O'Keeffe. A farce, it premiered as an afterpiece at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 23 April 1796. The original cast included Joseph Shepherd Munden as Sir Marmaduke, John Quick as Septimus, James Middleton as Captain Septimus, William Macready as Flam, Thomas Knight as Gyp, Samuel Simmons as Looby, Elizabeth Mansell as Emeline and Isabella Mattocks as Mrs. Auburne. The play's prologue made reference to Vortigern and Rowena, a forged play supposedly by Shakespeare, that had recently been staged at the rival Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The Irish premiere took place at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin on 11 July 1796.

The London Hermit

Writer · Play · 1793

The London Hermit, Or, Rambles in Dorsetshire is a 1793 comedy play by the Irish writer John O'Keeffe. It was staged at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on 29 June 1793. The original cast included Richard Suett as Whimmy, James Aickin as Old Pranks, John Bannister as Young Pranks, Howard Usher as Barleycorn, Ralph Wewitzer as Barebones, John Henry Johnstone as Tully, William Parsons as Toby Thatch, Lydia Webb as Mrs. Maggs, Elizabeth Kemble as Kitty Barleycorn, Elizabeth Heard as Dian and Jane Powell as Fishwoman. The prologue was written by George Colman the Younger and spoken by William Barrymore. It was staged at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin in 1795.

The Prisoner at Large

Writer · Play · 1788

The Prisoner at Large is a 1788 comedy play by the Irish John O'Keeffe. A farce, it premiered as an afterpiece at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London on 2 July 1788. The original cast included James Brown Williamson as Lord Esmond, William Henry Moss as Old Dowdle, Ralph Wewitzer as Count Fripon, Robert Palmer as Jack Connor, John Phillimore as Frill, John Edwin as Muns and Elizabeth Kemble as Adelaide. The Irish premiere took place at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin on 7 August 1789.

The Toy

Writer · Play · 1789

The Toy is a 1789 comedy play by the Irish writer John O'Keeffe. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 3 February 1789. The Irish premiere was at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin on 13 January 1791.

The World in a Village

Writer · Play · 1793

The World in a Village is a 1793 comedy play by the Irish writer John O'Keeffe. It was staged at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 23 November 1793. The original cast included John Powell as Sir Henry Check, John Henry Johnstone as Captain Mullinahack, James Middleton as William Bellevue, Joseph George Holman as Charles, Thomas Hull as Willows, William Cubitt as Captain Vanslueisen, William Macready as Briers, John Fawcett as Master Jack, William Thomas Lewis as Grigsby, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Jollyboy, Harriet Pye Esten as Louisa, Isabella Mattocks as Mrs Allbut and Susan Fawcett as Mrs. Bellevue. Its Irish premiere took place at the Crow Street Theatre on 25 November 1794.

Tony Lumpkin in Town

Writer · Play · 1778

Tony Lumpkin in Town is a 1778 Irish comedy play by John O'Keeffe. An afterpiece, it was intended as a sequel to the 1773 play She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith. It is centred on the character Tony Lumpkin. It ran successfully at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London. The original cast included William Parsons as Tony Lumpkin, Robert Palmer as Doctor Minum and Charles Bannister as Tim Tickle.

Wild Oats

Writer · Play · 1791

The naval captain Sir George Thunder and his valet and bosun John Dory arrive at an unknown country house on their hunt for deserters. They soon discover that it is the home of Thunder's niece Lady Amaranth, who has been left a legacy on the condition that she live as a Quaker – with another Quaker, Ephraim Smooth, on hand to make sure she sticks to this. Hearing his son Harry has left the naval academy at Portsmouth, he sends John to bring him back to woo Amaranth. Harry has been playing truant with a travelling theatre troupe, where he has made friends with another actor called Jack Rover. However, he decides to leave the troupe and return to the academy. Rover arrives near Amaranth's house in a storm and seeks shelter with the miserly Farmer Gammon. Gammon refuses and instead he takes shelter with his neighbour Banks and his sister Amelia. Gammon is trying to impoverish Banks to encourage Amelia to marry him and the following morning Rover pays off a debt Banks owes Gammon. Rover then sets off for the London coach, but realising he has no money left, instead takes employment with a new troupe. He then meets Dory, who mistakes him for Harry, then meets Amaranth, with the two falling in love. He and the troupe then end up performing at Amaranth's house, with Amaranth playing Rosalind to Rover's Orlando in As You Like It. Sir George Thunder hears that 'Harry' (actually Rover) is already wooing Amaranth as hoped. He then meets with the real Harry, who is non-plussed and goes to meet Rover. They keep up the deception, even when Thunder arrives. Thunder then continues his pursuit of the deserters and is saved from them by Rover, who also ends up defending Amelia from Gammon's bailiffs. Amelia then goes to Amaranth to explain how she and Banks became poor – years ago, a young naval officer tried to trick her into a sham marriage. However, her brother Banks was then a naval chaplain and performed the ceremony, making it valid. She had a child but the officer then left her – she ended up travelling to the East Indies and then back to England. Ephraim is angered at the play being put on, but tries to use it as a cover to woo Amaranth's new handmaid, Gammon's daughter Jane. Overhearing this, Amaranth denounces Ephraim's hypocrisy, renounces her Quakerism and reveals her love for 'Harry'. Rover reveals his true identity and it is revealed that George was the naval officer and Rover their son. However, this invalidates George's second marriage and makes Harry illegitimate, but Rover makes over the Thunder family estate to Harry, asserting that Amaranath and her fortune are enough for him.

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